That One Crazy Lady at the Gym
embarrassing March 28th, 2011There’s always one idiot at the gym who you avoid like the plague once you get a sense they’re not quite right. You’re afraid their weirdness might rub off on you and then you’ll have to take an extra long shower afterward.
You resent the fact that you pay all this good money to work out in a nice quiet place all alone in your thoughts until she shows up and gets on a machine next to you.
I am that idiot.
Yesterday on Facebook, I posted a note that I was resisting the urge to put this song on my iPod because according to the Frederick Statute of Singing Songs Out Loud, Article 5.34.1, I am only allowed to play songs where I don’t disturb others with my high-decibel, off-key singing to songs I don’t know all the words to.
Did I listen to my own advice?
I did not. It got downloaded.
Which is why when the song played on my iPod this morning, I couldn’t shut up. It’s the one song that I must sing out loud and with gusto.
There was a guy on an elliptical machine two over and a couple people in front of me.
It was a disaster. The guy to my left was not listening to his own music. So that left him listening to me and mine.
The words slipped out involuntarily. No turning back.
I know he heard me. Had to.
Hit it, Kathy!
Why do you build me up, build me up… buttercup, baby….
He didn’t look over.
…and mess me around….
Quiet voice, quiet voice….
…you never call, baby, when you say you will….
Still not looking, but he’s pumping his legs harder. Is it me?
…. hey, hey, HEY!!!!!….
I’m on fire now.
….I-I-I-need you-ooo-ooo more than anyone baby….
I am now flipping my head back and forth, rockin’ out in Crazytown. I can’t be stopped. I no longer care, but I know he must be cursing me.
It happened. I’m cool with it. I just don’t think elliptical guy wants to see me again and he very well may want his money back, at least for today.
I’m sorry. I’ll take it off my iPod.
Maybe.
Stumble it!
March 28th, 2011 at 5:34 pm
LOL! I would love being next to you. Especially if I was lacking headphones. You would keep me entertained! (in a good way! heehee)
Devon´s last blog post ..Bacon puts together Ikea furniture
March 28th, 2011 at 5:37 pm
Hell, no, don’t take it off! Download more! Some Crystal Blue Persuasion perhaps? Girls Just Wanna Have Fun? Crocodile Rock? Freebird? Hit Me With Your Best Shot? The Worst That Could Happen? Who Put the Bop in the Bop Shoo Bop Shoo Bop? OMG… so many awesome oldies but goodies!
Rock on, dude!
March 28th, 2011 at 5:47 pm
You go, girl! My Mommeh says she wishes she could BE the one who sings uninhibitedly in public. She lip-syncs when people sing happy birthday because her singing voice is so bad.
Daisy the Curly Cat´s last blog post ..Monday Funnies
March 28th, 2011 at 5:53 pm
I say congratulations and keep it on the ipod ! Better to have rejoiced in the moment and music than to have bottled it up inside where the lack of burping ability might just have catapulted you into spasms that really would have had that gentleman trembling in his gym shorts.
March 28th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
If I was next to you in the gym, I would have started singing along WITH you. That way you wouldn’t be alone in Crazytown.
March 28th, 2011 at 6:11 pm
what the heck is up with that outfit. now that that’s out of the way.
i might roll my eyes at you, sorry. there are songs i have to sing too, but i mouth the words. you’re more likely to hear me grunt, moan, breathe heavy or say a bad word if the weight training is too intense. now i might dance on the treadmill. i love doing that.
later buttercup.
March 28th, 2011 at 6:34 pm
NO… how dare you delete that song! It’s such a great song. Let those around you suffer. LOL
Di´s last blog post ..How Do You Spell FRUSTRATED
March 28th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
whatever it takes! but now i have that song stuck in my head. THANKS A LOT!
sparkling74´s last blog post ..Its Time For Some Letters
March 28th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
Hey, when you gotta sing, you gotta sing. Rock it proudly, girlfriend!
injaynesworld´s last blog post ..injaynesworld its the Sunday Recap
March 28th, 2011 at 7:26 pm
Trust me, I was singing along with you. You just didn’t hear me! I would have definitely joined in with you, and we would have been two crazy ladies.
Babs (beetle)´s last blog post ..A rant for a refund
March 28th, 2011 at 7:31 pm
LOL
I avoid the one guy who reeks after he starts running at my gym.
And I honestly get peeved when someone is on their cellphone when clearly there are signs that say they are only allowed in the members area or hallway.
blueyes´s last blog post ..Meet Me on Monday 40
March 28th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
I think I would have found it amusing and entertaining, but only if you only sang that one song and didn’t continue to croon your way through your entire workout. 🙂
Surfie´s last blog post ..When Lightbulbs Attack!
March 28th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
I can see it now …flash mob…100s of people coming into that gym from all over to sing build me up buttercup while working out lol.
March 28th, 2011 at 9:02 pm
I think he probably admired you and will ask at the front desk when that “musical hottie” comes in.
Linda Medrano´s last blog post ..Tea Party
March 28th, 2011 at 9:18 pm
You know what’s weird? That people who sing quite nicely under normal circumstances sing all off-key when they are singing along to whatever is playing in their headphones. I know there has to be a reason for it – like maybe because they can’t hear themselves they go all off-key – but it does always make me laugh!
Grace´s last blog post ..Kitty follow-up
March 28th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
I sing in the grocery store. Sometimes with my iPod on, sometimes not.
The dairy aisle has the best acoustics.
Shieldmaiden1196´s last blog post ..Swimming with the Undercurrent
March 28th, 2011 at 9:35 pm
usually when I am at the gym and I get all out of control my iPhone goes flying across the room because my arm got tangled in the cord while I was elipti-dancing.
March 28th, 2011 at 11:21 pm
I say who gives a crap how you sound. Sing it loud, sing it proud. Rock on Sister!
March 29th, 2011 at 1:43 am
Sounds like an awesome way to score a private gymn.
Cromely´s last blog post ..A SXSWi Moment
March 29th, 2011 at 4:15 am
Devon — And I’d love to have you there. Sometimes I wish I had a gym partner. I like to think I entertained him because how boring must it be to workout to NO MUSIC at all? My battery died the other day and I had to stop my workout. Couldn’t do it without music!
Barb — Who Put the Bop would get me banned. That might be a good one for me to move to. Hmmm. Do I or don’t I?
Daisy the Curly Cat — Awww, your mommeh has a pretty voice. That’s a shame she’s faking it. Maybe she could whisper it and work up to a full out belt.
Katherine — LMAO. You remembered I can’t burp! Yeah, that’s all I need is a burp build-up to launch me into the people on the treadmills. I’m leaving it on the iPod, but I think I’m going to have to skip past it when I’m at the gym. I know. So sad.
meleah rebeccah — And we’d both get the boot together and laugh ourselves silly on the way out!
v — Be glad it wasn’t in color. Can you imagine? It’s funny, I worry more about people hearing me grunt or breathe heavy than I do about them hearing me sing. Such quiet people at my gym. Geesh!
Di — OK, I won’t delete it, but unless I’m completely alone, I promise I shan’t regale everyone with my lousy singing voice. The problem is, almost all the ellipticals fill up first thing in the morning. Dire straits, here.
sparkling74 — But…but…but…it’s an awesome song! It’s the only earworm I don’t mind having!
injaynesworld — And I gotta. Really, it’s the only song I have no control over unless you sew my lips shut.
Babs Beetle — And it’s exactly the kind of song where it should be belted out by more than one person at a time. I found YouTube videos of people doing just that to this song. It lends itself nicely to breakout singing.
blueyes — I avoid the guy who reeks of cologne. Now that should be banned! I don’t know if there’s a ban on cell phones at my gym, but I haven’t once seen anyone even try to use one there. God bless them all.
Surfie — Oh, no. It’s only this one song. I’m well-behaved for the rest of my playlist.
Katherine — THAT’S the way the song should be sung. Oh, how I would love that. Flash mob Buttercup! Doesn’t get any better.
Linda Medrano — Hee. Maybe, but probably not. We’ll see today if he slinks away to another machine when I walk in.
Grace — Yep, that’s the problem. I sang this many times yesterday since I wrote about it and I was appalled at how I sounded when I could hear myself. But it’s funny how you don’t care when you can’t!
Shieldmaiden — Yes, I’ve known this little thing about you for a while now. I would be highly amused if I heard singing coming from the yogurts.
Molly — “Elipti-dancing!” Love that! I tried putting my iPod in a little slot on the front of the machines, but the wiring tripped me up and I went back to putting it into my pocket. I had visions of me being that person on the treadmill who can’t handle gym technology and breaks a leg as a result.
MAFW — I’ll never know how many people heard me and I think I shall have to be quiet today. I honestly don’t want to be that person. I love this gym. I don’t want to get banned. So when the song comes on again, I’ll have to sadly skip it. But that won’t stop me from singing it loud and proud on the way home in the car!
Cromely — Or get banned entirely. If I buy an elliptical for home use, my husband’s gonna have to move or something.
March 29th, 2011 at 6:16 am
Conversely I don’t think I could sing in the gym; the music I listen to when I do go to those places tends to have a bit of not-nice language in it. I’m not sure how the post-op hip replacement ladies feel about Public Enemy and Eminem.
Shieldmaiden1196´s last blog post ..Swimming with the Undercurrent
March 29th, 2011 at 6:38 am
But, that would be the perfect music for pumping iron! I would have been singing right along with you!
BoomBoomLarew´s last blog post ..Weve Been Robbed!
March 29th, 2011 at 6:47 am
HAHAHAHAHA
Do NOT take it off your iPod!
Crazytown is where you live!
That dude might want his money back, but I’d PAY for the privilege!
😀
March 29th, 2011 at 7:49 am
Thanks for putting a “visual” to the song. Really…thanks.
March 29th, 2011 at 8:40 am
Earwig! Earwig!
Gah!
In the publicist’s younger days she would have shied away from you. Now she doesn’t care. Age does that. It’s a wonderful thing.
Pricilla´s last blog post ..Its Nice to Get Out of the Barn in the Morning
March 29th, 2011 at 8:59 am
We need to start a gym that blasts classic hits where singing along is the norm. I know my workout would go a lot faster.
Michelle´s last blog post ..Fever dreams
March 29th, 2011 at 10:35 am
LOL luckily I don’t have these problems, I do all my keep fit in the comfort of my own home, handy things these Wii’s you know 😉
Karen´s last blog post ..Spending a Day Listening To Some Music
March 29th, 2011 at 2:27 pm
I’ve caught myself start to sing out loud. Then I frantically look around to make sure no one heard me. 🙂 You go girl! Get down with your bad self!
The only person who really bothered me was this guy in my 5:30 AM spin class who grunted loudly the whole time.
Junebug´s last blog post ..10 on Tuesday
March 29th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
Wow, you’ve got courage, or just the uncontrollable desire to sing that song…whatever. I don’t sing in public unless there are a lot of people singing too, and the music is loud enough to drown out a 747.
March 29th, 2011 at 5:11 pm
Kathy, thanks to you, I’m now clicking “Build Me Up Buttercup” with my tongue. I enjoy doing this to certain songs, but my wife hates it. I’ll tell her to take it up with you.
Bill White´s last blog post ..Pick the Worst
March 29th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
EVERYONE: Just like yesterday, the song came on today and it took every ounce of control not to sing it again. I don’t know what it is about this song!!!! It needs to come off my iPod. Plain and simple.
Shieldmaiden — Right! I have one “explicit lyrics” song on my playlist. I have sung it, but only in my head, at most mouthing the words. Let’s hope there are no lip readers in my early morning bunch.
Boom Boom — It’s interesting. If I was on the treadmill instead of the elliptical when the song came on, I’d have to jack up my speed. But doing so on the elliptical kills me, and I had to keep the same leg pace. But then that’s why my head was bopping all over the place. It’s the only thing I can move like mad and not sweat.
Ferd — You know, you’re so right. I do live in Crazytown. In fact, I’m the mayor.
Linda — Is that sarcasm? Because if it is, I’ll come over to your office and sing you a personal rendition.
Pricilla — But it’s a good ear worm and you know it! I love aging for that reason, and that reason only. Nothing else good about it, but boy, do I not care anymore that’s for sure.
Michelle — Oh, how I love that idea. I occasionally hear spinning/aerobics classes going on in another room. They play music loud and really get into it. Maybe I belong over there.
Karen — I know it’s safer at home. You can do what you want. But my problem is I can have all the fitness games and equipment at home (in fact, I do have Wii and other things). But do I get on them? No, I do not. Rock out, sister!
Junebug — I am a bad self, aren’t I?! Grunters are weird people. Also, they make me laugh. I bet they don’t care either.
Linda — Let’s go with uncontrollable. LMAO about the 747. I know. It’s so much safer that way. One time I was singing along in the car to a song and my husband noticed and turned down the radio real fast. I was mortified (even though he said he liked my voice). He’s a good man.
Bill — Hey, at least you didn’t whistle it. Whistling anything is grounds for swift and severe punishment. Please tell your wife I’m sorry.
March 29th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
I say if it keeps you going, leave it on!
Besides, anybody who goes to the gym at 3:30am (or whatever crazy time you go) and expects normalcy isn’t right in the head and should learn to go later with the normal people.
Margaret (Nanny Goats)´s last blog post ..Comment on How To Pay 291 For a Free Hotel Room by Anonymous
March 29th, 2011 at 6:27 pm
Kathy – you gotta come to my gym! The gym owner/trainer, Jesse take “requests” for what he plays over the very nice (very loud) speakers during our workouts and if you can still sing to the song mid way through the workout – he says “you’re not working hard enough! I should be hearing panting instead of singing” … yeah, that’s Crossfit for you. The exception songs for whatever reason (where we can still ‘pant out’ a chorus or two) are VanHalen’s Jump, Pet Townshend’s Let my love open the door and Loverboy’s Turn me Loose – I can still hear Jump, Open the Door and Turn me Loose from the crowd — but maybe that’s their wishful thinking instead … hmm..
March 29th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
Here are the words I live by Kathy:
When in doubt, sing loud.
Good for you! There are worse things going on in that gym than you singing along, believe me.
lin´s last blog post ..One Book-One Blog
March 30th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
The song itself sounds fattening.
Bruce´s last blog post ..Good Times!
March 30th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
I swear women don’t know anything. He probably thought you were very cute.
March 30th, 2011 at 5:42 pm
ROFL! Hahahaha…. you are so describing me every time I go to the mall with my mp5.
Hilarious! Definitely tweeting this one Kathy.
All the best,
Eren
Eren Mckay´s last blog post ..What is the meaning of the color pink
March 30th, 2011 at 7:19 pm
There’s a good punk version of that song by the Gimme Gimmes.
J. Bear Savo´s last blog post ..Caption Contest No 2
March 31st, 2011 at 3:36 am
Oh Kathy, no. No, no, no. I am impressed, though, that you owned it and went for it with abandon.
Now, the video. I’ve never seen who actually sings that song and I must say I dig his outfit and the fact that he carried the entire microphone stand with him rather than remove just the hand mic.
cardiogirl´s last blog post ..Clean House- the extreme anxiety edition
March 31st, 2011 at 11:38 am
LOL, this sounded a bit too familiar.
Debbie @ Better Than The Bully´s last blog post ..“I just wanted to block it out”
March 31st, 2011 at 2:41 pm
ROFL! I’ll admit it. If I was there I would have been rolling my eyes and shaking my head. I’d catch the eye of others in the gym so we could smirk about you. You know… all the things everyone does when they see me in my car, singing along with the radio blaring.
Linda Stacy´s last blog post ..Start Writing Blog Posts
March 31st, 2011 at 2:48 pm
He should pay you to listen to you sing. You were probably far better than any weird rap music he was probably listening to on his iPod.
But it’s not embarrassing at all. We ALL have those songs we must sing along to.
April 1st, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Oh gawd you cracked me up Kathy now I have that damn song in my head. I’ll buttercup you 😉
Man Over Board´s last blog post ..The Top Ten Reasons America is Broke
April 11th, 2011 at 9:45 am
That is one song that has to be sung anytime, anywhere. You keep on singing!!!